Steve Ding officially kicked off his campaign for re-election to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors surrounded by friends and supporters at his restaurant, Woodbridge Crossing. Below is the text of Steve’s speech:
“Thank you all for coming out to Woodbridge Crossing this morning. This is where my family works and eats, where we meet friends, and where I’ve held conversations about the future of our county. It’s the perfect place to say this I’m officially filing for re‑election to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, and I’m asking for your support.
I ran for this office as a small‑business owner and dad who was tired of government forgetting how real people live. Over the last term, we’ve focused on three things keeping San Joaquin affordable, keeping it safe, and giving the next generation a real shot at the American Dream.
Affordability – “Every Dollar We Save”
Families in Lodi, Woodbridge, and across District 4 feel the cost‑of‑living crunch every single week. We can’t fix everything coming out of Washington or Sacramento, but we can control how we handle your money at the county table.
That’s why, during my first term:
- We opened up refuse contracts to competition and delivered up to 45 percent savings for residents in Area C.
- We cut landfill gate fees by 18 percent.
- And we delivered over 57 million dollars in road and bridge work without raising your county taxes.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it here at Woodbridge Crossing My promise is no new county taxes. We will keep balancing the budget by cutting waste and focusing on what matters roads, safety, and essential services.
Safety, Firefighters, and Fentanyl
A safe community is a prosperous community. Working with law enforcement, we’ve helped drive copper theft cases down from about 500 a year to under 100 – that’s a hidden tax we’ve lifted from businesses and ratepayers.
I’m proud that Stockton Professional Firefighters Local 456 has endorsed our re‑election. These are the men and women who run toward danger, and they’ve trusted us because they’ve seen our work. Together we’ve championed a fire district realignment that modernizes an old, fragmented system into a unified response, through the new CENCAL Fire EMS Authority. That means faster help when you dial 911, more ambulance availability, and 1.1 million dollars a year for rural districts so everyone from North Stockton to the vineyards around Lodi is protected.
On fentanyl, we’re taking the gloves off with those who sell death, while opening doors for those who want treatment. We’ve backed DA Ron Freitas’s “One Pill Kills” campaign, educating parents and students about counterfeit pills, prosecuting dealers, and using opioid settlement funds to expand treatment and prevention.
Homelessness – “We Care. We’ll Help. But We Must Keep Our Streets Safe.”
For years, illegal encampments took over parks and sidewalks; families told me they stopped taking their kids to nearby playgrounds. We changed course.
Our approach is clear We care. We’ll help. But we must keep our streets safe. That means we offer shelter and mental‑health services first, over and over again – and we document those offers. If people repeatedly refuse help and encampments are unsafe, we enforce our laws and clear those areas. Today, parks that were once overrun are usable again, and business owners in downtown and along our corridors are seeing fewer incidents of vandalism and loitering.
Agriculture and the Next Generation
Here in Lodi and Woodbridge, agriculture isn’t just a word – it’s our way of life. I’ve worked with local growers and federal partners to protect our water, to fight unfair excise‑tax practices that hurt our wine industry, and to make sure our farmers are never an afterthought in Sacramento or Washington.
But we also have to think about our kids and grandkids. Too many young people wonder if they’ll ever afford a home, or find a good local job. That’s why we’re launching youth‑focused podcasts, fireside chats right here at Woodbridge Crossing, and digital outreach on affordability, jobs, homelessness, and fentanyl. We’re going to keep championing pathways in the trades, community college, and local industry – skills, not slogans – that lead to real paychecks and a first home.
The Choice and the Ask
This race offers a clear choice. My opponent is talking about untested discount‑card schemes and nonprofit experiments to fund homelessness policy – ideas that depend on shopper habits and third‑party vendors. I believe your Supervisor’s job is to manage the tens of millions of existing homelessness, mental‑health, and housing dollars we already have with strict accountability, not gamble on experiments.
You deserve someone who shows up, tells you the truth, and delivers results – not one message for one room and a different message for another. Together, we’ve made our streets safer, stood with first responders and farmers, defended taxpayers, and begun to turn the corner on homelessness and fentanyl.
From this familiar Woodbridge Crossing stage, I’m asking you to stand with me again. Let’s keep San Joaquin County safe, affordable, and full of opportunity for the next generation. I’m honored to file for re‑election, and I respectfully ask for your support and your vote.
Thank you, and may God bless San Joaquin County.”